Chelsea produced a Carabao Cup night to leave Stamford Bridge blinking in disbelief, overturning a two-goal Leeds United lead to win 6-3 and book their place in the next round.
Key takeaways
- Leeds were 2-0 ahead as late as the 48th minute before Chelsea found six goals.
- Cole Palmer came on at half-time and struck twice in two minutes to level the tie at 2-2.
- Pedro Neto, Danny Welbeck and Valentín Barco completed a remarkable home response.
- Welbeck scored twice, while Barco’s 80th-minute finish sealed the nine-goal result.
- Xabi Alonso changed four players at the interval, with Reece James, Morgan Rogers, Palmer and Neto all introduced.
Palmer starts the Stamford Bridge surge
Xabi Alonso had begun with a side containing several changes, including Spanish defender Pep Chavarría, but Chelsea were in deep trouble when Leeds moved 2-0 clear shortly after the restart.
The manager’s half-time alterations changed the temperature of the evening. Palmer, held back from the starting XI, was sent on to provide the necessary spark and did precisely that. His two goals in the space of two minutes had Chelsea level by the 55th minute and turned a difficult cup fixture into a very different sort of contest.
From there, the home side did not merely recover. They ran away with it. Neto added another, Welbeck struck twice and Argentina’s Barco supplied the final goal as Chelsea scored six times between the 53rd and 80th minutes.
Alonso’s changes bring a wild cup finish
The 6-3 scoreline was the product of an emphatic second-half transformation, with the four interval introductions giving Chelsea fresh authority and attacking thrust. Chavarría remained on the pitch throughout the match and played his part in the recovery, though he did not register an assist.
For Leeds, a 2-0 advantage after 48 minutes should have offered a route towards the next round. Instead, Stamford Bridge saw one of the season’s most striking scorelines across Europe’s leading leagues, as Chelsea’s substitutes and attacking depth turned a looming exit into a full-blooded cup escape.
SEO title: Chelsea 6-3 Leeds: Cole Palmer sparks remarkable Carabao Cup comeback
SEO description: Chelsea recovered from 2-0 down against Leeds United to win 6-3 in the Carabao Cup, with Cole Palmer scoring twice after coming on at half-time.
